A Camra award-winning village pub and its gardens have been saved from becoming an executive housing estate - thanks to a villager buying it and thwarting the planners.
Real-ale fan Andy Clipston loved the Black Horse Inn in Walcote, Leicestershire, so much he decided to purchase the free-house after hearing what might happen to it.
"I learned the owner was thinking of selling up and
allowing developers to build homes. I told her 'I can't have that' and bought the pub. It has a good clientele with many regulars from the village."
The Black Horse Inn has built up a reputation for real ale and good food, and earlier this year was second in the Country Pub of the Year, local Camra awards.
However, Clipston discovered that the pub was too run-down to renovate.
So the building contractor is putting his skills to good use - by knocking down the pub and building a brand new Black Horse Inn.
Clipston said the £300,000 re-build will deliver a pub in a similar style to the old one, and will be serving up to 20 real ales, many of them local brews, when work is complete by the autumn.
He also plans to expand the building to include a sports bar and a garden room restaurant.